Ice cube maker of the flexible belt type



8- 9, 1966 v K. K. KESLING 3,264,844

ICE CUBE MAKER OF THE FLEXIBLE BELT TYPE Filed Aug. 30, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Kif/r K. Kes/ing His Affarney ,5) INVENTOR. I

g- 1965 K. K. KESLING 324 M ICE CUBE MAKER OF THE FLEXIBLE BELT TYPE Filed Aug. 30 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 um I 98 Fig. 7

v Fig. 6

INVENTOR. Keir!) K. Kas/ing His Niamey Aug. 9, 1966 K. K. KESLING 3,264,844

ICE CUBE MAKER 0F THE FLEXIBLE BELT TYPE Filed Aug. 30, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. Keir/r K. Kes/ing His Al/orne y Aug, 9, 1966 K. K. KESLING ICE CUBE MAKER OF THE FLEXIBLE BELT TYPE Filed Aug. 50, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. Keith I(. Kes/ing BY 4 l His Attorney United States Patent This invention pertains to refrigerator appliances and in particular to automatic liquid freezer for household refrigeration of the frost free type.

While many automatic liquid freezers have been devised throughout many years, only the commercial type has proved to be a significant commercial success of long standing. There is now increasing evidence that many potential customers are now interested in buying a frost free household refrigerator with an automatic liquid freezer or ice cube maker. Although various types of automatic liquid freezers can be used in household refrigerators having a frost free freezing compartment, the simplicity, ice freezing capacity, compactness, uniformity of delivery and the relative ease which it can be cooled by the forced cooled air circulation in the freezing compartment makes the belt type automatic freezer very advantageous for such refrigerators. However, in many belt type automatic freezers there have been difliculties from belt stretching and breakage; failure to uniformly fill the freezing compartments of the belts; failure to completely freeze the liquid; failure to provide a sulficiently high delivery rate of frozen liquid, and failure to eject the frozen liquid from all of the freezing compartments.

It is an object of this invent-ion to provide a belt type liquid freezer having an improved ejection arrangement for ejecting a frozen liquid which minimizes the stress upon the belt and minimizes stretching and breakage thereof.

It is another object of this invention to provide a belt type liquid freezer in which the frozen liquid is loosened without fail after being frozen and ejected uniformly at the proper place with a minimum of stress upon the drive mechanism and the belt and with a minimum of distortion of the belt.

It is another object of this invention to provide a simple arrangement for increasing the speed and the capacity of a belt type liquid freezer without increasing the size thereof or lowering the temperature of'the cooled air.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved and simplified liquid control and delivery system to uniformly fill the compartments of the belt including improved simplified valves and valve actuators and improved and simplified metering of the liquid to be frozen.

These and other objects are attained in the form of automatic liquid belt type freezers shown in the drawings in which the belt is provided with liquid freezing compartments arranged in a plurality of oblique rows which are skewed transversely across the belt, the belt is mounted upon two spaced sprockets having skewed or oblique ribs or supports which engage the belt between the skewed oblique rows of the compartments. A drive motor at a uniform speed through reduction gear slowly rotates one of the sprockets to slowly move the belt. A cam on one of the sprockets controls a three-way switch circuit including two double throw switches, one of which is operated by the cam on the sprocket and the second of which is operated by a cam on a rotatable motor shaft which has additional cams for opening and closing fleX- ible individual inlet and outlet tubes which conduct the liquid to be frozen into and out of a flexible metering chamber to a discharge spout. This liquid is discharged in measured quantities to the skewed rows of compartments in the belt. The belt and the sprockets are located in the freezing compartment of a frost free type household refrigerator in which air cooled well below the freezing point of the liquid to be frozen is circulated over and around the belt. The liquid is delivered to the compartments at the beginning of the upper pass and is gradually frozen by the circulation of the very cool air around the beltas the skewed rows of compartments of the belt are wrapped around the sprockets, the walls of the compartments are twisted and also engage hub portions of the sprocket to loosen with great ease, the frozen liquid from the walls of the compartments. To make more elfective use of the belt and to allow the delivery of the frozen liquid at a greater rate, a holding sheet member is provided immediately adjacent the ejecting sprocket extending beneath the lower pass of the belt for prolonging the holding of the frozen liquid in the belt so as to assure continuation of the application of the cold air to the frozen liquid through the major portion of the lower pass to assure complete freezing of the liquid in each of the compartments. As the end of the holding member near the end of the lower pass, the frozen liquid falls from the compartments into a bin below.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein preferred embodiments of the present invention are clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of a household refrigerator of the frost free type with the freezing compartment door open showing a belt-type liquid freezer embodying my invention but with the guard removed, together with a portion of the cold air circulating system;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1 showing a top view of my freezer;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view illustrating one of the skewed sprockets for a driving belt shown in FIGURE 2; FIGURE 4 is a modified form of skewed sprocket;

FIGURE 5 is a side view of the valve and metering system;

'FIGURE 6 is an irregular vertical sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 8 is a vertical sectional view taken along the lines 8-8 of FIGURES 6 and 7;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View taken along the lines 9-9 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 10 is a wiring diagram and diagramatic view of the liquid metering and control system;

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the lines 11-11 of a portion of the belt; and

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the lines 1212 of FIGURE 2 showing a transverse section of the belt.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1', there is shown a household refrigerator of the frost free type which is preferably similar to that shown in Patent No. 3,104,533 issued Sept. 24, 1963. As in said patent, cold air cooled to temperatures of about F. in the evaporator compartment beneath is delivered upwardly through the air duct 20 upon the rear wall of the below freezing compartment 22 of a household refrigerator 24. This air duct 20 has an upwardly extending extension 26 provided with a curved discharge duct 28 for delivering this cold air to the belttype automatic liquid freezer or ice maker 30 which is located at one side in the upper portion of the freezing compartment 22. This belt-type ice maker includes two spaced vertical side frames 32 and 34 which are suspended from the top wall 35 of the below freezing compartment 22 by the projections 33. Between the opposite ends of the side frames 32 and 34 are located 24 bladed sprockets 37 and 38. These sprockets 37 and 38 are preferably identical and shaped as shown in FIGURE 3. They preferably include bearing hubs 39 projecting from the end members 40. These bearing hubs 39 fit into bearing apertures in the side frames 32 and 34 to provide a rotatable mounting for the sprockets 37 and 38.

According to my invention each of these sprockets is provided with four skewed oblique ribs 42 for the purpose of exceptionally easy loosening of the frozen liquid as the skewed oblique rows compartments of the belt pass around the front sprocket 38. These sprockets 37 and 38 support the opposite ends of the endless belt 44 which has rectangular liquid holding pockets or compartments 46 arranged in transverse oblique rows of three which are skewed similarly to the ribs 42 of the sprockets. The belt 44 between the rows of compartments has a web 48 which connects the tops of the walls of the compartments 46. The adjacent walls of each of the compartments in the row is separated by a wall 50 provided with a centrally located weir 52. The oblique angle of skew of the rows of compartments and the sprockets is chosen to give the best release properties for the frozen liquid in the compartments 46 with a minimum of stress and distortion of the belt 30. The belt 30 is made up of any suitable plastic such as a flexible elastic grade of polyethylene or polypropylene. For the belt illustrated, I find a skew angle of 5 to 5 4 very satisfactory. The front sprocket 38 is driven by a drive motor 54 located on the outside of the frame 32 through a reduction gearing 56 which connects with the square socket 56 provided in both the end members of both sprockets 37 and 38.

To control the filling of the compartments, one of the sprockets is provided with a control cam 60. As shown in FIGURE 2, this cam 60 is connected to the rear sprocket 37 on the outside of the side frame 32 while in FIGURE 10 it is shown connected diagrammatically to the belt driving motor 54. Either arrangement may be used since either will provide satisfactory rotation for the cam at a rate which is corrdinated to the rate of movement of the belt 30. The cam 60 is provided with four notches 62 cooperating with a cam follower arm 64 which operates a double throw snap acting switch 66 forming a part of a 3-way control arrangement in which the alternately energized contacts of the double throw switch 66 are connected by conductors 68 and 70 to the alternately engaged contacts of a similar double throw switch 72. The switch 72 also has an operating cam follower 74 which is operated by a cam 76 upon the end of the output shaft 78 of the gearing driven by the small drive motor 80.

The switch 66 has its common terminal connected by the conductor 82 to the supply conductor L-1 while the switch 72 has its common terminal connected by the conductor 84 to one terminal of the motor 80. The other terminal of the motor is connected by the conductor 86 to the supply conductor L-2. The belt motor is also connected across the supply conductors L-1 and L-2 through a bin switch 88 and a door switch 90. When the sprocket drive motor 54 is energized, it will rotate the cam 60 thereby causing the notches 62 to be presented to the follower 64 to move the switch 66 from one position to another. This will energize one of the conductors 68 or 70. The double throw switch 72 will be in such a position that current will flow through the energized conductor and through the double throw switch 72 to the small synchronous drive motor 80 and the conductor 86 to the supply conductor L2. This will cause the motor 80 to rotate the shaft 78 through one complete revolution at the end of which the switch 72 will be moved by the cam 76 on the motor output shaft 78 and the cam follower 74 from one position to another. This will stop the rotation of the motor 80.

The output shaft 78 has two cam surfaces 92 and 94 which cooperate with the plungers 96 and 98. These plungers 96 and 98 are slidably mounted Within the housing 121 containing the passages 123 and 125, The passage 125 connects to an inlet fitting 127 for connection to a liquid supply source such as an ordinary city water system. The passage 125 contains a flexible tube 129, the outer end of which is clamped in a flared seat 131 by the inlet fitting 127. The inner end of the flexible tube 129 is integrally connected to a diaphragm wall 133 located within a metering chamber 135. The edges of this flexible wall 133 as well as the edges of a second flexible wall 137 are clamped between the adjacent rims of the two housing members 139 and 141 which form the housing for the metering chamber. The two edges of the flexible walls 133 and 137 as well as the two edges of the housing members 139 and 141 are firmly clamped in sealing relationship by the threaded clamping ring 143. Within these housings 139 and 141 is a pressure plate 145 which is spring pressed against the flexible wall 137 by the copression type coil spring 147.

As shown in FIGURE 8, the output shaft 78 is provided with the cam surfaces or notches 92 and 94 on the top and bottom sides thereof. The flexible tube 129 in FIGURE 8 is shown in the open position with the plunger 98 extending into the cam notch 94. This permits the flow of liquid from the pressurized liquid source through the inlet fitting 127 and the tube 129 into the space between the flexible walls 133 and 137. This expands the space between the two diaphragms until the pressure plate 145 stops against the shoulder 149 in the housing member 141. This volume provided by the expansion between the flexible walls 133 and 137 is suflicient to provide a proper filling for one of the rows of compartments of the belt 30.

When a row of compartments is in the proper position, the cam follower 64 will drop into one of the notches 62 to start the operation of the meter motor 80, At the start of the motor 80, the output shaft 78 is positioned so that the plunger 98 will be cammed downwardly pinching off the flexible inlet tube 129. To assist this pinching, there is provided a pinching pin 151 extending transversely to the tubes as shown in FIGURES 6 to 8. The operation of the motor 80 and the rotation of the output shaft 78 brings the cam notch 94 to the position shown in FIG- URE 8 allowing the plunger 98 to rise and the flexible tube 125 to open to allow the flow of liquid such as water under presure from the pressurized supply source through the inlet fitting 127 and the tube 125 into the measuring chamber located between the diaphragms 133 and 137. The measuring chamber expands to its full dimensions after which the continued rotation of the motor 80 and the output shaft 78 moves the notch 94 away from the plunger 98 to pinch the tube 125 to seal off the inlet to the measuring chamber. The pinching of the tube 129 holds the water or liquid in the collapsible measuring chamber between the flexible walls 133 and 137. The

flexible wall 133 is provided with a second flexible outlet tube 153 within an outlet passage 155 connecting with an outlet fitting 157 which has a flared fluid type connection 159 with the tube 153. The outlet fitting 157 is con nected through a suitable hose or pipe 161 with a discharge spout 163 which projects over the belt 30 as shown in FIGURES 2 and 9. The rotation of the shaft 78 is cordinated with the movement of the belt 30 by the drive motor 54 to present the cam notch 92 to the plunger 96 at the proper time to open the flexible tube 153 to permit the spring 147 to force the liquid from the measuring chamber between the flexible walls 133 and 137 through the tube 153, the outlet fitting 157, the hose or pipe 161 and the discharge nozzle 163 into the adjacent row of compartments of the belt 30. This fills to the proper level all three compartments 46 in that row through equalizing flow through the weirs 52. The motor 80, following this filling, continues to run until it reaches its starting position in which both tubes 129 and 153 are again pinched off. At this starting position, the cam 76 operates the follower 74 to move the double throw switch 72 to its initial position thereby stopping the motor 80. The metering system will remain in this condition until the next row of compartments is moved beneath the spout 163 and the cam follower 64 again drops into the succeeding notch 62. l

The drive motor 54 through the gearing 56 and the sprocket 38 slowly moves the top pass of the belt 30 forwardly. The liquid in the compartments 46 will gradually freeze from the outside inwardly thereby providing an initial confining wall surrounding the unfrozen liquid. It has been the custom to operate the belt type ice maker slowly enough that the liquid in the compartments is completely frozen by the time this liquid reaches the front sprocket. However, under such circumstances the lower pass of the belt is unused. Therefore, I contemplate operating my'belt at a faster speed to obtain a greater output therefrom. As a result the outer surface of the liquid will be frozen to provide a wall of substantial thickness to contain unfrozen liquid therein. When the row of partially or completely frozen liquid reaches the front sprocket 38, by the wrapping and interaction of the skewed rows of compartments upon the skewed sprocket 38, the walls of the compartments provided by the belt 30 are easily distorted and twisted sufliciently to disengage the completely or partially frozen liquid in the compartments from the walls thereof.

To assure the completing of the freezing of the liquid before it is discharged from the belt, I provide a holder 165 of sheet material such as a suitable plastic of high density polyethylene or polypropylene having a front 167 which is curled upwardly around the front of the sprocket 38 and having an intermediate portion directly beneath the lower pass of the belt 30. This holder 165 holds the loosened frozen liquid in the compartments of the belt for completion of the freezing of the liquid in the' center. The rear end of the holder 165 is provided with a downwardly inclined portion 169 from which the completely frozen liquid is discharged into the collecting bin 171 located beneath it. This collecting bin 171 has a bottom wall 173 which slopes downwardly toward the front to the Well portion 175. This will facilitate the movement of the frozen pellets to the front. The collecting bin 171 is preferably removably supported within the compartment 22 at the front thereof. However, at the rear the collecting bin 171 is supported by the plunger of the bin switch 88. With this arrangement when the bin 171 is filled it will depress the plunger of the switch 88 to stop the operation of the belt motor 54. This incidentally will stop the rotation of the cam 60 to stop the filling of the compartments. This condition will prevail until the bin 171 is emptied. The opening of the door 177 to the compartment 22 for removal of the bin 171 will open the door switch 90 to likewise stop the operation of the motor 54.

The operation of the belt 30 with the skewed oblique rows of compartments 46 wrapped over the skewed sprocket 38 effectively loosens the frozen liquid from the walls of the compartments with a minimum of distortion of the belt. The skewed ribs 42 engage the webs 48. The bottom walls of the compartments engage the rounded valleys 179 between the skewed ribs 42. Since these valleys 179 are skewed like the ribs 42, they engage the front and rear bottom edges of the walls of each of the compartments and twist these edges oppositely so as to effect the disengagement of the frozen liquid from the walls. Since the amplitude of twist to effect this disengagement is provided by a relatively small oblique angle of skew such as 5 to 5 /2, the distortion of the belt is minimized. Also, the sprocket provides support for both the webs 48 and the bottoms of the compartments 46 to further minimize the stress upon the belt.

In FIGURE 4, a modified form of sprocket 181 is illustrated having square end pieces 183 each having corner notches 185 receiving the ends of the skewed supporting bars 187 Which engage the web portions 44 of the belt. The bottoms of the compartments of the belt engage the cylindrical hub portion 189 during the twisting of each row of compartments as they pass over the sprocket 181. This forces the bottom of the compartments upwardly as the top portions of the bars are twisted in opposite direction to effect a complete release of the frozen liquid from the walls of the compartments with a minimum of stress and distortion of the belt 30.

While the embodiments of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A liquid freezer including a belt having liquid holding compartments arranged in a plurality of skewed oblique transverse rows extending at a substantial oblique angle transversely of the belt, a sprocket having means for driving and supporting one end of said belt, means for supporting the other end of said belt, means for filling the compartments with liquid to be frozen, means for freezing the liquid in said compartments, one of said supporting means having means cooperating with the skewed rows of said belt for dislodging frozen liquid from said compartment.

2. A liquid freezer as defined in claim 1 in which said means for supporting the belt has skewed oblique supporting means extending transversely of said belt for engaging said belt between said compartments.

3. A liquid freezer as defined in claim 1 in which the belt has connecting webs between the adjacent rows of compartments and the sprocket has an axis and skewed supports extending at a substantial oblique angle to the axis of the sprocket between the adjacent rows of compartments substantially into supporting contact with said webs.

'4. A liquid freezer as defined as claim 1 in which insulating means encloses a freezing compartment having a front door and in which the belt extends from the front to the rear of said compartment and has mean-s for discharging the frozen liquid at the rear, a removable ice bin supported beneath the belt having a shallow portion adjacent the rear and having a bottom which slopes downwardly toward the front for collecting the frozen liquid and facilitating its movement toward the front of the bin adjacent said front door.

5. A freezer as defined in claim 1 in which the filling means comprises a liquid supply conduit and means for discharging liquid from the supply conduit into said compartments of said belt, valve means for controlling the discharging of said liquid into said compartments, a rotatable motor and rotatable cam means rotated by said motor for operating said valve means, means responsive to the movement of said belt for starting said motor, and means for stopping said motor at the end of each revolution of said rotatable cam means.

6. A liquid freezer as defined in claim 1 in which said means for supporting the belt comprises rotatable means rotable upon an axis having skewed supporting means extending transversely of said belt at a substantial oblique angle relative to said axis for engaging said belt between said compartments and which has means between said skewed supporting means for engaging said belt at the bottoms of said compartments to assist in the loosening of the frozen liquid in said compartments from said belt.

7. A liquid freezer as defined in claim 1 in which the belt has weirs connecting the compartments of each skewed row to distribute the liquid therein.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Chilton 62345 X Erickson et a1. 62345 Vlasic 62-345 X Brandt et al 62-442 X Brubaker 62--345 

1. A LIQUID FREEZER INCLUDING A BELT HAVING LIQUID HOLDING COMPARTMENTS ARRANGED IN A PLURALITY OF SKEWED OBLIQUE TRANSVERSE ROWS EXTENDING AT A SUBSTANTIAL OBLIQUE ANGLE TRANSVERSELY OF THE BELT, A SPROCKET HAVING MEANS FOR DRIVING AND SUPPORTING ONE END OF SAID BELT, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE OTHER END OF SAID BELT, MEANS FOR FILLING THE COMPARTMENTS WITH LIQIUD TO BE FROZEN, MEANS FOR FREEZING THE LIQUID IN SAID COMPARTMENTS, ONE OF SAID SUPPORTING MEANS HAVING MEANS COOPERATING WITH THE SKEWED ROWS OF SAID BELT FOR DISLODGING FROZEN LIQUID FROM SAID COMPARTMENT. 